Five calves of one of the UK's rarest cattle breeds have been born at Temple Newsam's Home Farm in Leeds. The new arrivals are part of a group of only around 150 Vaynol animals in the country.
Vaynol cows are categorised as 'priority' by the Rare Breed Survival Trust (RBST). The breed originated in North Wales and was first established in the late 19th century. The herd at Temple Newsam stems directly from that original herd and has been based at the estate since the 1980s.
About the Temple Newsam herd
Temple Newsam's Home Farm currently houses one bull, 14 breeding cows, five heifers (females yet to calve) and the five newly born calves. The farm is one of five locations in the UK where Vaynols can now be found.
Richard Aldis, farm manager at Temple Newsam, said: "We're so thrilled to have welcomed these little ones to the farm. The team here works hard to protect these rare breeds that the farm is home to and it's always wonderful when we can successfully grow the herd. The calves are settling in well and we're just thinking about names for them."
When the herd arrived at Temple Newsam in the 1980s, the team carried out work that has proved valuable to the current breeding programme run by the RBST.
Other rare breeds at the estate
Temple Newsam is one of the largest rare breed farms in Europe. All the breeds kept there are native to the UK and include white faced woodland sheep, middle white pigs and Bagot goats.
For more information, visit the Temple Newsam website via Leeds Museums and Galleries.
